Whether you have a problem with your gallbladder or had to remove it, your diet plays a crucial role in what we call ‘quality of life’ from the healthy perspective, meaning good management of symptom manifestation and overall health. The suggestions below may seem restrictive, but think about how much more restrictive your diet would be with other conditions!

Essentially, the gallbladder stores bile, which helps digest fats. Without it, or without its proper functioning, the body adapts with our help. This means choosing the right foods, which act as facilitators of this transition. This small pear-shaped organ hides behind its bigger sibling, the liver. The liver is the organ that produces bile. So, when you eat a meal with fat, the gallbladder sends bile into the small intestine to help digest the fat.

So, by cutting out fat, will everything be okay for an organism without a gallbladder? It doesn’t work exactly like that, because our body needs – to some extent – fat to function.

When your gallbladder is removed, bile goes directly from the liver to the small intestine. Although this flow is sufficient for digestion, there is no storage of extra bile in case of a sumptuous meal high in fat. The result is bloating, gas, or even diarrhea as a reaction of the body to something it cannot cope with.

The Mediterranean diet helps us a lot with such conditions. We are, one might say, lucky to be familiar with it and to have ready access to it!

The general rule is to ingest lots of fiber that helps digestion/intestines – fruits and vegetables, protein without much fat, and ‘good’ fats. Some examples:

• Carbohydrates rich in fiber: quinoa, oats, whole grain bread, brown rice. Fiber helps with digestion and prevents diarrhea, a major problem after gallbladder removal.
• Legumes: black beans, peas, chickpeas. They also help with diarrhea.
• Protein: skinless and unprocessed poultry, fish (sardines, mackerel, salmon, trout), tofu, shellfish. They are rich in nutrients and protein without much fat.
• Good fats (in moderation!): avocado, nuts (peanuts, walnuts), seeds (chia, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds), olive oil. Good fats, which are also found in fish, should be consumed in moderation to avoid discomfort in the digestive system.
• Dairy (low-fat!): yogurt, low-fat cheese, and various milks and their alternatives (almond, oat).
• Fruits: apples (rich in fiber and pectin, which helps digestion), berries like strawberries, blueberries, currants, aronia (rich in antioxidants and fiber), bananas (easy to digest and gentle on the stomach), pears (rich in fiber, perhaps a bit harder for the stomach to digest). It’s good to avoid high-acid fruits, i.e. citrus, if you have reflux problems, however . Also, dried fruits like raisins, apricots, and prunes may have high amounts of sugar and thus be harder to digest.
• Vegetables: spinach and all green leafy vegetables (rich in nutrients and fiber), carrots, sweet potatoes, beets (digestible and nutritious), broccoli, cauliflower (rich in fiber), peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers (rich in nutrients and antioxidants). Avoid beans, lentils, and legumes if they cause indigestion and gas, or consume small amounts combined with other easily digestible foods. Caution re: Raw onions and garlic: unfortunately, eat them only when cooked if they cause discomfort. Traditional tzatziki is wonderful without garlic, with strained yogurt 5% fat! Try it!

 * The above is not medical advice but mere suggestions for improving your diet. Before herbal use you should consult your doctor, especially if you have health issues, you are pregnant, or under the age of 6.

 Evropi-Sofia Dalampira holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics, an MSc in Botany-Biology and an MSc in Horticulture & Viticulture